Mission of the Office of Administrative Hearings

OAH Mission Statement

The Office of Administrative Hearings (“OAH") is an executive branch agency that provides independent administrative law judges (“ALJs") to preside as hearing officers
over state and local administrative hearings and related proceedings. Our agency mission is to hold fair and impartial hearings and to issue reasoned and timely decisions for government agencies and the citizens of North Dakota.

We fulfill this mission by:

*· providing ALJs for all state ch. 28-32 agencies required to use OAH services.
*· providing ALJs for those state agencies not under ch. 28-32 and units of local government that are required to use OAH services.
*· providing ALJs, upon request, for those state agencies that are not required to use OAH services.
*· providing ALJs, upon request, for state agency rules hearings.
*· providing ALJs, upon request, for any unit of local government.
*· providing ALJs, upon request, for any tribal government in this state.
*· providing ALJs, upon request, for the judicial branch.

OAH ALJs preside as procedural or substantive ALJs for all state agencies required to use OAH services. A procedural ALJ conducts the hearing and related proceedings,
but the agency head, who must be present at the hearing, issues the findings of fact, conclusions of law, and order. A substantive ALJ conducts the hearing and related
proceedings and issues recommended findings of fact and conclusions of law, and a recommended order. The agency head issues the final order. For many agency
matters OAH ALJs conduct the hearing and issue the final order. OAH ALJs also preside as procedural or substantive ALJs for those state agencies and units of local
government that are not required to use OAH services. They also preside at agency rules hearings, conducting the hearing only.